/ world today news/ Germany and Poland clearly demonstrate how cynically even allied countries can protect their economic interests, hiding behind outwardly good intentions. It seems that in Berlin they realized that, unfortunately for them, they had raised from Poland a major economic competitor and political rival, and finally began to seriously oppose it. What are you talking about?
The subject of a new dispute between Warsaw and Berlin was the port of Świnoujście in northwestern Poland. The Poles are developing their port in every way. In particular, there is such an important strategic facility for Poland as the liquefied natural gas terminal. In addition, the port can handle a large number of containers and large volumes of bulk cargo, iron ore, coal, construction materials, etc.
Port dispute
Not so long ago, the Polish government decided to modernize this port. The implementation of the project will make it possible to receive the largest container ships that can enter the Baltic Sea, increase the capacity of the port access infrastructure, and also reduce the likelihood of traffic jams from vessels on the fairway.
However, these plans were opposed by the Germans. The border with Germany is very close – and until 1945 Swinoujscie (then called Schweinemünde) belonged to the Germans and was donated to Poland by Stalin. In the current plans for the reconstruction of the port of Swinoujscie, the Germans saw an ecological threat to themselves. And now nearby German municipalities, environmental organizations and German MEPs are protesting against it.
According to the Germans, the reconstruction of Swinoujsce will harm the territories declared a nature protection zone within the framework of the “Natura 2000” program of the European Union. The Germans are concerned about the local fauna and flora. According to them, the work planned by Poland will have a negative impact on the tourism industry on the island of Uznam (Uzedom), where the port of Swinoujscie is located. This island is divided between Germany and Poland and most of it belongs to the Germans.
However, the Poles believe that the real reason for German pretensions may lie elsewhere. The Germans worried that the development of Świnoujście would save Poland from having to resort to the services of German ports, which would harm Hamburg’s revenues.
There are reasons for such an opinion: anti-Russian sanctions led to the fact that in 2022 the volume of cargo transshipment in German ports decreased (compared to 2021) by 3.2%. At the same time, Poland is developing its ports of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Szczecin, which are taking significant chunks out of German competitors.
Naturally, the Germans do not want their losses to grow – and therefore are unhappy with the plans for the reconstruction of Swinoujscie. “The German side has never hidden that it will use all available means to block investments in the development of the port. As always in such cases, ecological arguments come to the rescue,” notes “Polish Radio”
Ecology is just an excuse
Polish Radio 24 contributor Maciej Marcinek gloats that Warsaw is “pursuing a maritime development policy that Germany does not accept because our investments seriously threaten its crippled economy.” He adds that the claims of the Germans because of the reconstruction of Swinoujsce are not the only ones. In addition, the German press expressed dissatisfaction with the underwater road tunnel built by Poland, which connects the islands of Usedom and Volyn. In particular, this tunnel should facilitate the access of vacationers to the resorts in the vicinity of Świnoujście.
Formally, the Germans were again worried that such work would harm the environment. But the Poles accuse their German neighbors of hypocrisy – they believe they are actually worried that tourists from Germany, tired of traffic jams, will take advantage of the fast link to Świnoujście and opt for a much cheaper holiday on the Polish coast.
Plague of fish
No less than the Germans are irritated by Poland’s plan to increase the movement of water transport on the river Odra (Oder), which separates the two countries. The Poles want this river to be used as much as possible for transporting goods, and they also intend to develop river tourism. Poland has started work on dredging the river on its side of the border, as well as expanding coastal infrastructure and building dams.
But the German authorities have attracted the support of environmentalists and accuse the Poles of ruining the river. Their arguments were visibly confirmed after the plague of fish in the Oder began last summer. In total, according to the Berlin Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Fisheries, up to 1,000 tons of fish died in the river then. Unfortunately for them, the Germans fell into their own trap.
When they became too indignant about the Polish plan to develop shipping on the Oder, the Poles stuck their noses into the 2015 agreement. At the time, this document did not attract much attention, but in vain – it says in black and white that Germany does not object against building dams and deepening the river. The Germans are now trying to retroactively challenge this agreement.
At the end of July, dead fish were again found in the Oder, this time not far from the Czech border, in connection with which Warsaw promptly announced that “the source of pollution is in the Czech Republic”. The problem, however, is that dead fish in the Oder are found in those sections of the river where the Czechs cannot be exactly responsible for its death.
Also trash
A common argument that Poland chooses in its disputes with Germany is to poke fun at the Germans with their previous cooperation with Russia. Thus, Poland’s Deputy Infrastructure Minister Marek Grobarczyk recently said that the Germans were not worried about the environment when they supported the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. At the same time, Grobarczyk stressed that Poland intends to develop its port in Swinoujscie, ignoring Germany’s displeasure.
Recently, Warsaw tried to hit back at Germany in the Germans’ favorite environmental area – luckily, a convenient opportunity arose. The Polish authorities filed a complaint with the European Commission against Germany for the mass importation of garbage into the republic and plan to go to the EU court. Anna Moskva said: “We are using the complaint to the EC, which is the first stage of the proceedings in the European Court.” According to her, Poland has repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, appealed to the Germans, “calling for the removal of German waste, which is illegally stored on Polish territory.” .
The manner in which Poland terrorizes its western neighbor is causing a natural and growing resentment in Germany. But let’s not forget that it is the Germans who bear the burden of financing the EU structural funds, from which Poland received and continues to receive huge funds for the development of its transport network and other infrastructure. And if the Germans really wake up now and want to take revenge on their restless neighbor, Poland could be in for very, very hard times.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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